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  • Be proactive to prevent active shooter incidents

    The news seems to be flooded with one horrific active shooter incident after another. Every time we hear of these tragedies, we ask ourselves why these incidents occur and what can be done to prevent them. As we try to make sense of these crimes, let's remain mindful that all active shooter

  • Moral authority: Internally generated, always tested and fragile

    All leaders require authority to act or to tell other people to act, particularly in the profession of arms. Early on in a leader's career, authority, granted by the institution, is emphasized through one's commission, the Constitution, the U.S. Code, rank, position and orders. Over time, however,

  • ‘Nurses lead the way’

    National Nurses' Week begins May 6 and ends May 12, Florence Nightingale's birthday. Nursing's role since Nightingale's time has changed tremendously; still, with all the changes taking place around us, nurses continue to lead the transformation of our health care system to meet the ever-growing

  • How I nearly became the ‘next fatality’

    Risk management does not entail the absence of risk, but may be the closest thing we have to 20/20 "foresight." Whether in our daily operations or personal life, risk management calls for you to review the task, conditions, resources and equipment; assess all the risks involved; determine if there

  • Calibrating your ‘moral compass’

    The analogy of a "moral compass" as representing a person's ability to reason ethically and act morally has been used to the point of triteness. Although the terms "ethics" and "morality" are not the same thing, for the sake of brevity I will use them interchangeably. My goal is to resurrect the

  • Adopting a stepchild

    Adoption is the process by which two individuals create a parent-child relationship recognized by law. A stepparent adoption is a legal process where the stepparent becomes the legal parent of the child. This relationship becomes permanent and cannot be reversed by a subsequent separation or divorce

  • Air Force core values: More than a poster on the wall

    Peer pressure is a powerful force, almost as powerful as command pressure. The need to fit in, combined with the weight of perfection, significantly contributed to the recent instances of cheating in the Air Force's missileer community. After considering recent accounts, I asked myself, "Why didn't

  • Belly rub deployments

    I am in the military with three "dependents." The possibility of my absence from home is a situation that my wife and I have to plan for. Whether it is a deployment for several months, or a temporary duty assignment for a few weeks, a time will come when my wife will be solely responsible for the

  • “I got this!”: SOS student spouses take on Project X

    Military spouses are the unsung heroes for many of our men and women in uniform. They constantly face challenges inherently unique to those who live their lives supporting those who serve. With every deployment, the spouse is tasked with staying behind and holding down the fort. With every permanent

  • Running with Joe

    It was March in Montgomery, and the temperature was 52 degrees, according to my car's thermometer. I was on my way to Gunter to get in my early morning run. Some people like to run when it is warmer, but 52 degrees is perfect for me.I have been running for about five years. After years of playing